Virus
by tomboy23
Summary: Ryoko hasn't been acting like herself lately and she's being haunted by a demented reflection of herself in her dreams. Can Washu resolve this mystery in time before Ryoko looses her mind? R&R!! T/R rated for violence *^^*
1. Stability

Chapter One: Stability  
  
Ryoko found herself alone in a dim room, only a single red light bulb gave off its light on the ceiling a few feet above her head. She looked around her as she took a small step forward deeper into the room.  
  
"Where the hell am I?" She asked herself out loud as she paused to look up at the red bulb hanging from the dark ceiling. After a few moments passed by, a shadow manifested into the red light before her. Ryoko took a small step back and snarled, ready to go on the defensive. "Who are you? What's going on here?!"  
  
The silhouette formed on the ground, crouching over its knees. It remained silent as it began to stand, keeping its head lowered as to hide the identity. However, when the shadow finally straightened up and raised it's head, it was no one other then Ryoko herself.  
  
Ryoko's tough and defensive demeanor faded away as she stared, confused and shocked, at the reflection of herself. The reflection, however, was different somehow... her hair was darker then Ryoko's; almost black. And the eyes which stared back at Ryoko were empty and emotionless; but emotionless as they were, they sent a chill down Ryoko's spine and she felt a sort of fear from them that she couldn't describe.  
  
Ryoko took one more step back away from her disturbing reflection and glared sternly at her, "Tell me who you are. you're not me. You may look it, but you're not me! What's going on?!"  
  
Her reflection didn't bother to respond with words, but only grinned menacingly. She slowly turned her back to Ryoko and began walking away into the darkness.  
  
"RYOKO! WAKE UP!" a voice shouted loudly into Ryoko's ear. Ryoko opened her eyes abruptly and she was woken from her strange dream. She was greeted with the angry face of Ayeka before she shoved a pillow forcefully into her face.  
  
"Hmmf!" Ryoko cried out through the pillow before pulling the pillow away from her face.  
  
"What are you doing sleeping, you lazy bum!" Ayeka scolded as she crossed her arms in protest. Ryoko sat up from the couch in the living room and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Ayeka, I like to sleep. Besides, how can you blame me for sleeping during the day because your snoring is so loud at night!" Ryoko snapped back sharply as she stood from the couch. Ayeka was left speechless and only responded with a death glare and a twitching eye.  
  
"Listen, you stupid pirate, I woke you up because it's your turn to do the chores today! So get to it before Sasami finishes dinner!" Ayeka barked as she turned around and walked away. Ryoko clenched her fists and tried her hardest to keep control of herself. Ayeka was being more of a bitch then she usually was and was pushing Ryoko to the brink of insanity. All Ryoko wanted to do was slap her around a few times, and then she'd be happy.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
After around an hour, Ryoko had had her fill of cleaning. She transported to the roof of the house where she usually went to get away from people, and set down the bucket of dirty water where a rag hung off the side. She undid the bandana which she put in her hair and let her wild hair free. With a long sigh, Ryoko stared off into the sky where the sun began to set. She was feeling off somehow, and she didn't know why. She wasn't as sarcastic and sadistic as she usually was anymore.  
  
Tenchi was walking back home from the fields when he looked up and saw Ryoko alone on the roof. He smiled his usual charming smile and set aside his tools and bucket.  
  
"Hey Ryoko!" Tenchi greeted as he climbed up the ladder to the roof. Ryoko quickly turned her head and saw him as he poked his head up from below the top of the roof. A smile which she couldn't contain crossed her face when she saw him.  
  
"Tenchi! What are you doing here?" she asked curiously, trying to hide her enthusiasm to keep him there with her.  
  
Tenchi smiled as he walked across the roof to her side, "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing!" He sat down beside her and looked off towards the setting sun and smiled. Ryoko stared at him for a few moments, not knowing what to say, and then turned her eyes back to the sun.  
  
"You don't seem like yourself lately, Ryoko. You haven't tried to grope me at all in the past week," Tenchi joked as he looked at her.  
  
Ryoko grinned and raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying you miss being groped by me?" She laughed. Tenchi laughed along with her, but noticed that her laugh soon died away.  
  
"Tenchi, I'm just really stressed lately. I don't know why either. Most of it is from Ayeka though; she's been nagging me more then usual lately. It's really eating away at me. I'm just scared that I'm just going to snap one day," Ryoko said as she looked down at the ground far below her, "The only thing really keeping me stable is you."  
  
Tenchi stared at Ryoko for a few moments before placing his arm around her. He leaned forward towards Ryoko and rested his forehead against hers, "Don't worry, things are going to be fine. If Ayeka is getting that bad, just ignore her. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here."  
  
Ryoko blushed when she opened her eyes to see Tenchi smiling at her. She smiled along with him and rested her hand sincerely on his other hand, "Thank you, Tenchi."  
  
After a few moments of Tenchi holding Ryoko, he released her and stood from beside her, "Come on, they're probably waiting for us in the house. You know how Sasami hates it when people are late for dinner!" he said with a smile. Ryoko smiled up at him as she stood to follow him down the ladder and into the house.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Dinner was uneventful and boring. Ryoko had kept to herself and didn't speak much, while shocked everyone. Ayeka was rambling on about nonsense and flirting with Tenchi, which annoyed Ryoko beyond anything. Mihoshi and Kione were arguing about whether or not Mihoshi had messed up their last case, and Washu was doing work in a notebook as she ate. Ryoko, though, did notice Tenchi looking over at her a few times, sometimes with a worried expression across his face. This, of course, made her blush a bit. She loved him so much, every time he paid attention to her, she was happier then anything.  
  
After dinner was finished, Ayeka helped Tenchi remove the dishes into the kitchen to be washed; it was hers and Tenchi's night to wash them anyway. Ryoko remained on the couch while Ayeka and Tenchi were alone together in the kitchen.  
  
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, blushing. Tenchi looked over at her and passed her a dish to be dried.  
  
"What is it, Ayeka?"  
  
"You k-know how I feel about you. I-I know you do-"  
  
Ryoko stood up the couch and walked past the dinner table and noticed a used glass still sitting on a placemat, "Oh, Tenchi forgot one," she said as she bent down to pick it up.  
  
"Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, confused, as he handed her another glass. Tears began falling from Ayeka's eyes as she looked at him.  
  
"I just- I cant hold my emotions in anymore! I'm tired of having to live with you, but without you!" Ayeka cried. Tenchi, still utterly confused, placed a soapy dish down into the sink.  
  
Ryoko lifted the glass from the table and turned to walk towards the kitchen down the hall. She took her time walking down the corridor until she stood outside from the kitchen door.  
  
"Ayeka-" Tenchi began to say, but was interrupted by Ayeka's hand over his mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as she removed her hand from his mouth and replaced them with her lips.  
  
Ryoko slid open the kitchen door and stepped in. But when her eyes were laid upon what she saw, the glass in her hand slipped out and crashed loudly upon the kitchen floor. 


	2. The Chase

Chibi Meg: In our last chapter of 'Escaping Sanity', Ryoko gets visited by a strange reflection of herself in a dream! Could this be a look into the future? Or did she just eat some weird food before she went to sleep? And Ayeka, confessing her love to Tenchi through a kiss, gets discovered by a stunned Ryoko! Is this the end of Ryoko's trust for Tenchi, or can he win her back?! Wait and see in the next chapter of Escaping Sanity:  
  
Chapter Two: The Chase  
  
As the glass shattered on the wooden kitchen floor, Ayeka released Tenchi and stepped away from him. Tenchi was completely dazed and closed his eyes to re-gain himself, not realizing that Ryoko had seen the whole thing.  
  
"T-Tenchi?" Ryoko stuttered as she took a small step back into the hallway. Tenchi, recognizing it was Ryoko, and remembering what happened, paused and stared at the ground in alarm.  
  
Tenchi raised his eyes up and looked at Ryoko and saw the hurt in her eyes, "Ryoko-" She clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly as she turned and walked angrily back down the hallway from where she came.  
  
"No! Ryoko, wait! It's not what you think it is!" Tenchi called out as he tried running after her. But before he left the kitchen, Ayeka reached out her hand and took him by the arm.  
  
"Lord Tenchi, wait! Let her go!" Ayeka pleaded pathetically, still clinging onto his arm. Tenchi turned and grabbed her hand and pried the tight grip off from his arm.  
  
"Ayeka, you've done enough already, just stay here," He snapped as he ran out from the room and down the hallway.  
  
Ryoko was already past the dining room and was walking out to the porch when Tenchi ran up from behind her. As she stepped down onto the porch, Tenchi reached out his hand and gently took hold of Ryoko's shoulder, trying to get her to stop walking away.  
  
"Don't touch me!" Ryoko shouted as she twisted around to slap Tenchi forcefully across his face. Tenchi lost his balance and fell backwards, collapsing against the side of the house. He slowly reached his hand up and touched the side of his face where he had been hit, it throbbed and stung more then a normal slap did. He looked up at Ryoko, not saying a word. The look in Ryoko's eyes hurt Tenchi more then the throbbing pain on the side of his face, they were cold but also expressed the pain she was feeling.  
  
Ryoko turned away from Tenchi and continued her walk across the porch and down the steps. "Don't follow me," she remarked solemnly as she jumped into the air to fly away towards the forest.  
  
Tenchi watched sadly as Ryoko flew farther and farther away from him. He placed his arm on his knee and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand, "Ryoko."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ryoko flew farther then she had realized into the forest and decided to fly down to rest on a tall tree-branch. She stood on the thick branch and leaned against the trunk, staring blankly at the full and bright moon in the sky. The air was clear and crisp, enough where she could see her breath when she breathed or sighed.  
  
She crouched and sat down on the branch, still leaning against the trunk and tried to keep warm. The picture of Tenchi and Ayeka kissing was still fresh in her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to erase it, but nothing worked. Tenchi was supposed to be the person to make everything fine and make her feel better, but he was the one who hurt her the most.  
  
"Tenchi." She sighed as she looked up again at the bright moon. She slowly closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was in a deep sleep.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ayeka slowly walked out from the kitchen and saw Tenchi sitting on the porch with his forehead still rested against his wrist. She was about to walk to him, but stopped herself and paused. She lightly smiled and turned around towards the end of the hallway to walk up the stairs. However, when she looked up to the top, Sasami had been waiting for her.  
  
"Ayeka, what's going on?" Sasami asked as Ryo-Oki leaped onto her left shoulder. Ayeka slowly began to walk up the stairs.  
  
"I finally found the courage to kiss Tenchi. But when I did, Ryoko walked in and saw us," She explained as she walked up the stairs. Sasami only gave a look of stun; she never thought Ayeka could kiss him!  
  
"What happened?" Sasami asked as she stood up from the top step. Ayeka paused as she made it to the top and looked down at her little sister.  
  
"He didn't kiss me back, and he went after her when she ran away," Ayeka responded slowly before walking towards her room. Sasami watched her as she opened her door and closed it behind her after walking in. She frowned sadly and looked down the stairs and saw Tenchi still sitting on the porch, as if waiting for Ryoko to come back.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ryoko once again found herself standing in the shadowed room, and the red light was once again above her head. She looked around a few times before stepping deeper into the red light.  
  
"I know you're here, whoever the hell you are. I know you were waiting for me to come back," Ryoko declared loudly. Her voice echoed in the darkness and slowly faded away. As she scanned the room around her, Ryoko finally saw a shadow begin to emerge from the dark where the light did not show. Ryoko clenched her fists once more, ready again to go on the defensive.  
  
The shadowy figure stepped into the light, it was none other then her dark other self. She grinned as she stepped closer to Ryoko. She eyed Ryoko up and walked slowly around her in a circle, as if examining her.  
  
"You are an amazing creature, Ryoko," her reflection finally said as she walked in front of Ryoko. Ryoko glared darkly at her other self and sneered.  
  
"Who are you?" Ryoko snapped. Her other self continued grinning and gave out a small laugh.  
  
"Unless you're completely blind or stupid, which you're not, you can see that I am none other then you, Ryoko. I am you in every sense. You're face, you're body, you're strength, even you're blood, we're the same," she responded.  
  
Ryoko sneered and opened her right hand to materialize her laser beam sword, "You're not me!" She shouted as she leapt forward. Her other half grinned as she materialized the same beam sword and easily blocked the attack made by Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko and her other self held their swords together from the previous attack. Ryoko's eyes widened as she saw the same laser beam sword in which she herself also wielded.  
  
"It can't be." She muttered quietly. Her other half grinned more maniacally as she released her left hand from the sword and reached up and quickly grabbed onto Ryoko's neck. 


	3. Seeking the Pink

Chibi Meg: In the last chapter of 'Virus' (I know, it WAS called Escaping Sanity, but I changed it, so ha! XP), Ryoko witnesses Ayeka and Tenchi kissing and tries running away. However, a reluctant Tenchi tries to go after her and only gets slapped in the process. And again, Ryoko is confronted by the reflection of herself in her dreams, this time though, things look like they may turn bad! Can Ryoko find anyone to help her solve her dilemma? All in the next chapter of Virus:  
  
Chapter Three: Seeking the Pink  
  
Ryoko awoke from her terrible dream across the tree branch as the sun slowly began to rise above the tree tops. As she sat up, a sharp pain shot through her mind. She tightly closed her eyes and covered the sides of her head with her hands as she felt the pain throb continuously.  
  
"What is happening to me?!" She cried through her clenched teeth. The dreams, the headaches, everything.. It was driving her insane. She was being stalked in her dreams by an entity that she didn't even understand, and it was winning.  
  
'I need help,' She thought to herself.  
  
'Help? Who can possibly help you?' she heard herself respond.  
  
And then the thought came to her. She opened her eyes and lightly released her hands from the sides of her head, "Washu.. Washu can help me," She whispered with a slight hope in her voice. Out of anyone, Washu was the best choice; she was a genius after all.  
  
Ryoko, tolerating her headache, leaned forward off from the branch and flew forward before phasing out completely.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Washu was busy in her multi-dimensional lab. She was sitting in her chair with her virtual keyboard underneath her typing fingers with her eyes looking up at the virtual flat screens around her filled with information and data from whatever she had been working on (which no one knew, or understood).  
  
She paused for a moment and smiled her childish smile, "I hear someone coming!" With that, Ryoko reappeared above the ground in her lab, seeming weak and slightly slumped over.  
  
"Washu-" she muttered weakly before losing consciousness. She closed her eyes and dropped from mid-air onto the ground beneath her with a loud thud.  
  
Washu stared, bewildered, at Ryoko lying on her floor and slowly raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's not something you see everyday," she said to herself before standing from her floating chair. As she began to walk towards Ryoko, she noticed something strange which she had never seen before. Washu quickly ran to Ryoko's side and kneeled low beside her, examining the back of her neck. Washu noticed something like an ink smear behind Ryoko's left ear; it was small, but sent a chill through Washu's heart as she lightly placed her fingers upon it. It was cold to the touch, cold and unnerving.  
  
Washu's face turned grim as she stared upon it, "This isn't good.. This isn't good at all.."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Tenchi awoke abruptly after a bird chirped loudly in the tree near him from a cat walking by. Tenchi found that after chasing after Ryoko, he had fallen asleep on the porch waiting for her to come back. He rubbed his blurry eyes and looked at the sky above him, it was early and brighter then he desired, but he didn't care.  
  
Sasami, Tenchi noticed, had been waiting for Tenchi to wake up and was curled up sleeping beside him innocently. He smiled kindly and placed a gentle hand on top of her blue hair. As he began to stand, he noticed a cup filled with was earlier hot tea beside her. He reached over her to pick up the glass; the tea was now ice cold.  
  
'Sasami takes care of me so much; she's just like a sister. Well, I think she'd be like a sister. I guess I'd know better if I did have a sister. Wow, I think too much,' Tenchi thought as he rolled his eyes. When Tenchi stood up, he reached down and gently lifted Sasami off from the ground. He turned and walked into the house and into the living room where there had been an empty couch. He knelt next to one of the empty couches and placed Sasami onto the couch without waking her (surprisingly to him). He reached over towards the end of the couch where there had been a thick blanket and unfolded it to lie out on top of her.  
  
Tenchi turned and walked away down the hall and paused at the kitchen door. As he looked at the shut door, he remembered to the night before when Ryoko had run off. He closed his eyes and continued walking down the hall until he stopped once more in front of Washu's lab door. He felt inside him a great urge to enter, and he didn't exactly know why. He slowly placed his hand upon the doorknob and began to turn it until his grandfather entered into the hall from the bottom of the stairs at the end of the hall.  
  
"Tenchi-"  
  
Tenchi quickly released the knob and turned to his grandfather and smiled, "Hello Grandfather! Sleep well?"  
  
Yosho placed his hands behind his back and looked at Tenchi, "How could I? After that ruckus?" Tenchi's smile slowly faded and his eyes sunk after hearing what he said, and looked as if to respond. His grandfather saw this and sighed, "Tenchi, take a bath and get ready to go into the field. It's going to be a beautiful day, a great time to work."  
  
"Yes Grandfather," Tenchi responded obediently and he left the door behind him to walk up the stairs and get ready for his melancholy bath. 


	4. Spread

Chibi-Meg: (note: okay, I know that I made Ayeka look like kinda a. well, a flake and the kiss between her and Tenchi is kinda unrealistic, but I was in a rush and needed a reason for having Ryoko run off! Sorry! I'm not too big of an Ayeka fan, and I'm sorry if I've offended some Ayeka fans, and I promise that I'll portray her better. ::bows:: Gomen Nasai ) Anywho, in the last episode of "Virus" (which was a little short, I know! Sorry!), Ryoko seeks the help of Washu! Washu then discovers a black substance behind Ryoko's left ear! Does this have a strange connection with Ryoko's nightmares? Can Washu find what's wrong with Ryoko and cure her before things turn for the worst?! Read and find out in the next episode of "Virus" -  
  
Chapter Four: Spread  
  
It was almost four days that passed in the Masaki residence in which neither Washu nor Ryoko were anywhere to be seen. Sasami had tried going into Washu's lab to call her for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but was locked out completely. Everyone was worried, even Ayeka to a point. This thing had happened before though (Washu staying in her lab for days that is). But Ryoko hadn't been gone this long before. Tenchi and the others and gone out to look for her countless times at night or in the morning in the forest, but always came up back without her. Tenchi had been taking it the worst; he had been looking more tired then usual. Some of them believed that at night before everyone woke up, he would go out and look for her by himself.  
  
Washu stood beside Ryoko who laid across an examining bed in the middle of her lab with a blanket draped over her legs and torso. Ryoko had some of Washu's crazy equipment hooked up upon her. One for example on her forehead, Ryoko had two white circles with a transmitter in the center which relayed her brain frequency patter back onto a holographic screen behind her.  
  
"Ryoko-"Washu whispered concerningly as she placed her hand gently upon her arm (which was now almost completely black as charcoal), "No matter how many tests I perform, no matter how much research I perform. I can't stop it from spreading."  
  
Washu saw Ryoko's eyes squint tightly as she grabbed tightly onto her blanket. Sweat rolled down the side of her cheek and onto her black ear. A tear slowly rolled down her face as she winced in pain (which had been occurring more and more as time progressed). Washu stared down at Ryoko and placed her hand gently upon her forehead, as a mother to her daughter, and continued to stay by her side.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ayeka stood outside on the porch, staring at the bright blue sky above her. She slowly lowered herself closer to the ground to sit comfortably onto the step leading to the stone path before her and casually fixed her dress. As she looked up towards the fields, she saw the tiny silhouette of Tenchi doing his daily work in the sun. She felt a smile cross her face as she continued to stare deeply at him.  
As she sat with her arms to her side, still watching Tenchi, she heard a voice begin to whisper to her. It was quiet, almost so quiet that if it weren't as still as it was outside, Ayeka would most likely not have heard it. As the voice continued on, Ayeka gazed around to see if anyone had been there. She slowly stood from her seat, the voice began to grow louder and louder.  
"Who's there.?" She warned as she tightly clenched her fists. Her eyes scanned the area around her, the voice still growing and growing.  
"Ayeka.." It called out sorrowfully.  
"Who's there?!" Ayeka repeated, beginning to worry. Like a flash of lightning, a sorrowful and pain-stricken Ryoko sparked into her mind, screaming for her.  
"HELP ME!!" She cried out, crouched and arms wrapped around her middle. Ayeka's heart seemed to stop as the image passed through and quickly disappeared.  
"Ryoko-!"  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"AHH!" Ryoko roared from the examining bed as her eyes shot open in horror and alarm. The monitors and instruments began to run crazy with beeping and alarms as Ryoko continued to scream and cry.  
"What the-!" Washu shouted as she took a small step away from the bed, utterly confused and bewildered.  
Before Washu knew what had happened, a large burst of energy and power erupted from Ryoko and exploded through the lab like a bomb, hurling everything away from her as if from a massive wave. Washu was thrown back with everything else and crashed into a large computer far behind her.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
In the house, Sasami was preparing lunch in the kitchen and Mihoshi had been watching TV. in the living room until the floor beneath them and walls around them began to shake and tremble.  
"Whoa!" Sasami shouted as she struggled to keep balance on her cooking stool as she dropped the vegetables in her hands to grab onto the rim of her sink. Mihoshi, instead of just saying on the couch, screamed and tried running off outside until she tripped and fell to the floor.  
Tenchi felt the ground slightly tremble beneath his feet and dropped his bucket full of carrots.  
"What the-?" He asked himself as he stared at the ground curiously.  
"LORD TENCHI!" Ayeka yell loudly as she dashed out to the field. The trembling beneath Tenchi's feet slowly began to subside as Ayeka raced up to him, panting heavily.  
"Ayeka? What? What is it?" Tenchi asked, worriedly as he ran up to meet her. Ayeka, still panting, rested her left hand upon his right shoulder for support.  
"Lord Tenchi-"She whispered under her breathing, "Something. Something is wrong!"  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Washu slowly opened her eyes, still lying against her shattered computer. A sharp pain ran through her ear, and she felt warm fluid rolling down her cheek and neck. As she slowly began to stand, dizziness came over her and pushed her back down onto the floor.  
"What the hell happened.?" She groaned as she wiped the blood from the back of her ear. However, as soon as she asked this question, so saw Ryoko float above the examining bed and stand up in mid-air from the corner of her eye. "Ryoko-?" She asked, turning her head to see her, but stopped when their eyes met.  
Ryoko was most certainly not Ryoko anymore. The black substance which had been spreading over Ryoko's body had now taken her over; her entire being and all of her skin was black as coal (though her hair kept it's light-blue color). The whites of her eyes had been taken over by a dark blue, and her pupils were pure white. She floated in the air, staring at Washu with an emotionless demeanor; almost robotic.  
Washu slowly stood from the ground and took a step forward, with a resolved and un-frightened mien. "Who are you?"  
The dark Ryoko heard this and grinned as she straightened up her back. "I am." She began, her voice low and demon-like, "Virus." 


	5. Confront the Beast

Chibi Meg: On the last episode of 'Virus', the black substance which had appeared on Ryoko in the previous days of seeking Washu's aid, has spread completely over Ryoko's body and has taken her over! With the arrival of Virus, the new inhabitant of Ryoko's body, Washu attempts to confront her head on. Just who is Virus, and is Washu strong and powerful enough to hold her own against her? Find out in the next episode of "Virus"!-  
  
Chapter Five: Confront the Beast  
  
Washu felt a quick fear pass through her heart as 'Virus', floated higher into the air, her arms outstretched. She grinned darkly as she slowly inhaled a deep breath of air through her nose.  
  
"Ah, freedom!" She exclaimed in her seductive and demon-like tone, "Too long have I traveled across the universe to find such a strong and powerful being as this." she muttered, satisfied, to herself as she lifted up her hands to fix her eyes on at them.  
  
Washu hesitated in curiosity as she heard this and collected together her composure and courage, "Across the universe? You've been looking for her?"  
  
Virus paused and broke away from her own little world and lowered her hands to stare down at Washu, almost curiously. She slowly began to float down towards the ground until she landed lightly on the floor in front of Washu, still grinning. Washu felt a need to take a step back for her own safety, but resisted and held her ground with a look of complete endurance and willpower across her face. The fact that Ryoko's skin was now completely blackened and her eyes were less than comforting, Washu felt rather proud about her courage.  
  
"You. I sense a power within you. Similar to this one-"Virus stated unemotionally as she raised her right hand mid-waist to form a energy-ball within her palm. Washu saw the ball form in the corner of her eye, but ignored it and continued to stare only into Virus' dark blue eyes. "But it's different somehow, I can feel it. You're powerful, yes, but she is more powerful."  
  
"What did you do to Ryoko? What are you planning to do with her body that you so VERY rudely stole-?" Before Washu could finish, Virus, quick as lightning, threw up her arm and grasped her tightly by the throat.  
  
"And you know what? You ask too many questions, and it's annoying me," Virus stated as she tightened her grasp upon Washu's throat. Washu squinted one eye shut and tried keeping the other at least slightly open as she looked back at Virus. She clenched her teeth shut as she tightened her fists and muscles in her arms.  
  
"Release Ryoko!" Washu bellowed, releasing within her her own power.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ryoko found herself lying alone in a large field of tall grass. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the sky above her which was colored a melancholy light gray. The clouds which passed above her remained white, but were almost invisible against the light gray atmosphere. As the wind blew past her, it caused the grass in which she lay to sway calmly.  
  
"Where the hell am I..?" She asked herself, still staring at the sky. She leaned up against her elbows and sat up to look around her. The field was large and vast that sat on top of a small hillside and around it, stood a light forest with a river flowing at the edge of the field. All seemed normal and calming except for everything which she set her eyes upon was a different shade of gray. The rocks were dark gray, the trees a lighter shade, and the river even more. However, when she stared down upon herself, she saw that she had kept her color. Her hair was still as bright blue as ever, and her skin as light and pale as a peach. As she stood from the ground and stared at the vastness around her, Ryoko felt a sense of dread and unsureness.  
  
"Tenchi-"She whispered quietly as she wind blew past her once again, tossing her hair into her face.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Rah!" Virus cried out as she was violently thrown back past the examining bed from the force of Washu's power. She halted herself in mid- air and stared, unbelievable, back at the small pink-haired who stood confident and strong. She felt blood start to seep slowly from her lower lip, and she grinned as she raised her left wrist to wipe it away.  
  
"You underestimate me, Virus. Bad things happen when I'm underestimated," Washu warned as she narrowed her dark green eyes upon Virus.  
  
Virus continued to grin with a sense of mischief as she examined the blood in which she wiped away from her lower lip, "You're right, I did underestimate you. It won't happen again," She stated. She slowly raised her eyes up from the blood on the side of her hand and her grin soon turned maniacal, "I'll just have to not hold back next time I deal with you-"  
  
Before Washu had expected, Virus shot like lightning from the air and reached her hands out for Washu. Seeing this, Washu quickly clenched her fists and formed around her a force field to protect herself (which when Virus collided with it, stopped in mid-air and continued to try and push through). Zaps of electricity erupted around them and crashed near their ears.  
  
"Errr-!" Washu groaned through her clenched teeth as she squinted her eyes, trying to give all she had to support her force field. Virus, however, began to push her way through, and soon before Washu had even noticed, her fingertips slipped through the field, followed by her whole hand and wrists.  
  
"You are weak! You are NOTHING!" Virus shouted as she slipped her arms through the field. She reached up and placed her palm against Washu's forehead and grinned once more. Just as she did so, Washu felt a white hot pain pass through her mind, so much pain that it blinded her though her eyes were wide open.  
  
"AAhhh!" Washu shrieked as the pain passed down from her neck to down her back and through her heart. After a few moments, Washu blacked out completely and closed her eyes as she fell backwards onto the floor, her shield completely fallen.  
  
Virus lowered her hand from where it had been before on Washu's forehead and looked down upon her with a sense of animosity. As she removed her attention from Washu, she turned towards the examining bed and grinned. "Time to find the Juraian." 


	6. Juraian Pt 1

Chibi-Meg: (Note: my ENTIRE computer was wiped out clean when my dad tried 'fixing' it, so I lost everything... also, I started writing in WordPad, which doesn't have a spellcheck, so be expecting A LOT more mistakes! ^^*) Anywho! In the last episode of 'Virus', Ryoko has been taken over by a demon named Virus (properly named! ^^*) and confronts Washu head on! While Washu is confronting Virus, Ryoko seems to be stuck in a gray sort of other demension! And who is this Juraian who Virus speaks of?! Is it Ayeka, Sasami, or Tenchi? And what does she plan to do with them?! Keep your seat planted and read it all in the next chapter of Virus: (warning, this is a two-parter cause I cant fit it in one chapter! ^^*)  
  
Chapter Six: Juraian pt. 1  
  
Tenchi sprinted towards the house with Ayeka running closely behind him. As he began to notice that she was falling behind, he reached out his left hand and took hold of hers to pull her closer to him.  
  
"Come on, Ayeka! We have to get back to see if everyone is alright!" Tenchi called as they continued to gain speed and grew closer to the house. Ayeka, at that exact time when Tenchi took her hand, felt a hot blush run across her face.  
  
Inside the house, Kiyone dashed down the stairs and skidded to a halt before sliding into the couch, where Mihoshi was sleeping upon. Sasami, hearing Kiyone running down the steps, walked out from the kitchen and looked around at the other two.  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Kiyone asked concernly as she scanned Sasami and Mihoshi.  
  
Sasami walked closer to Kiyone and untied the apron around her waist, "Kiyone, what was that?"  
  
Kiyone shrugged her shoulders and seemed to calm down a bit before taking a deep breath, "I haven't clue. I was just cleaning upstairs and everything just started shaking," Kiyone paused a moment and looked around curiously, "Wait, where are the others? Wheres Tenchi and Ayeka?"  
  
"Hey!" Tenchi shouted as he dashed into the house through the porch door, all while dragging Ayeka behind him, "Is everyone okay?"  
  
"hmmmm-" Mihoshi grumbled to herself while still sleeping on the couch. Kiyone groaned a bit and felt a surge of annoyance pass through her.  
  
"Anyway-" Kiyone groaned, "Do you think that this is just one of the results from Washu's weird experiments? We've gone through stuff like this before."  
  
It was possible that it could have been one of Washu's inventions or experiments gone wrong, but something in Tenchi's heart told him that it wasn't, and that things were more serious then they appeared to be. He knew it from the first time he felt the ground shaking. And now that he thought about it more, he began to feel in a strange way that somehow, Ryoko was involved also.  
  
"I dont think so," Tenchi stated as he walked across the living room. He stopped at the foot of the hallway and stared at Washu's lab door in the middle of the hall. they stood in silence, mostly wondering what was going on through Tenchi's head, and wondered that had happened to cause the ground the shake. They stayed there for a few moments until they began to hear a slight buzzing or whizzing.  
  
Ayeka looked around curiously and took a step forward, "What's that noise?" She asked with her eyes still wandering. She didn't seem to concerned with it until she realized that the buzzing was coming from the direction of Washu's door, and it was getting louder.  
  
"Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka shouted as she lifted both of her hands in front of her. As she did so, small guardians formed around Tenchi just as the door to Washu's lab violently exploded, engulfing the hallway and living room with debris and smoke.  
  
"AH!" Mihoshi screamed as she was roughly awakened by the explosion. She must have leaped a foot in the air before landing on the couch again to roll off and hit the ground beneath her.  
  
"What- what the hell was that?!" Kiyone shouted between coughing and gagging.  
  
Tenchi had his eyes tightly closed and had both his arms raised and crossed in front of his face. As the smoke slowly began to clear around him, he slowly opened his eyes and noticed that Ayeka's gaurdians had protected him from any harm, and they were keeping the smoke from getting to him. He mentally thanked Ayeka in his mind and lowered his hands to his side and then focused all of his attention to the explosion. But before he could think straight, he began to see blue hair begin to emerge from the darkness within Washu's lab. His heart stopped.  
  
Virus slowly emerged from Washu's lab, her eyes glowing dark blue. Tenchi stared at her, confused and bewildered, at what had happened to her. Her skin was now as dark as coal, and she gave off a dark and evil vibe or aura.  
  
"Ryoko-" Tenchi whispered to himself in disbelief as he slowly took a step away from her. All the others joined in with Tenchi in staring in shock and alarm.  
  
"Who of you is the Juraian?" Virus asked, emotionless and dark, as she walked closer towards the living room.  
  
"Ryoko, what're you-?" Tenchi asked as the guardians faded away to let him walk closer to her. Virus sneered and clenched her fists, causing a jolt of power to grab hold of Tenchi and throw him back through the air and into a mirror, shattering it into small pieces.  
  
"Tenchi!" Sasami called out as he fell to the floor with glass falling all around him.  
  
With that, Kiyone pulled out the pistol she left strapped near her thigh at all times out from it's holster and held it up high towards Ryoko, "Hold it, Ryoko!" She shouted as she rested the bottom of the handle on the palm of her left hand.  
  
"Oh my God..." Ayeka whispered as she reached out and grabbed onto Sasami to pull her away from the near danger and shoved her behind her back.  
  
Virus stood at the end of the hall, uneffected by the sight of the pistol or Tenchi laying bleeding to the side. She took a step closer to Kiyone, "I won't ask again, who of you is the Juraian?"  
  
"Ryoko, I dont know what happened to you, but I will NOT hesistate to defend myself and the lives of everyone here!" Kiyone shouted nervously as she took a step away from Ryoko.  
  
Virus, showing signs of annoyment, took another step, "I wont ask you again-"  
  
"Ryoko! Don't move!" Kiyone called out loudly as some of her courage began to back her up.  
  
Another step, "-Who of you is-"  
  
"Ryoko!" Kiyone shouted as the trigger was pulled, letting a shot blast out from the barrel of her pistol. 


End file.
